


A Flag Came Home

by whatfandom



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Angst, Harry is a HAB, M/M, Soldier Louis, War AU, im sorry for writing this, liam zayn and niall are dating each other, lots of death tbh, ziall just mentioned
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-15
Updated: 2014-11-15
Packaged: 2018-02-25 12:31:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 355
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2621861
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whatfandom/pseuds/whatfandom
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Louis doesn't want Harry to be one of those soldier HAB's.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Flag Came Home

Louis always hated the word "scared". It made him feel powerless, weak. Scared was supposed to be a five-year-old kid asking their mummy or daddy to check under their bed for monsters. Scared wasn't supposed to be hiding in a foxhole with twenty other guys, scared he wouldn't come home to Harry, scared all this work would have been for nothing.

Soldiers were supposed to be strong and brave. Harry said he was the bravest person he knew once, but that was _Harry_ ; his boyfriend's opinion doesn't count. Most of the time.

Harry made Louis feel strong. When Harry kissed Louis' dog tags before he shipped out, told him "come home", with tears in his eyes, Louis knew he had to be strong for Harry. Louis had to be strong for his company. It was hard to be strong when, whenever he made a friend in the army he'd drop dead: dog tags and a flag shipped back to Home, capital H since his second home was in the army. Louis didn't want to be one of those guys, Louis didn't want Harry to be one of those WAG's- or HAB's in Harry and Louis' case. He didn't want Harry to be one of those HAB's who had their boyfriend shipped back to them in a wooden crate. Harry cried hard enough for Liam. Zayn and Niall ended up as two of those HAB's with Liam. Zayn was given an honorable discharge because of it, Niall wouldn't have let him back in war anyways. Niall wouldn't have been able to take losing Zayn too. Harry almost didn't let him. "I have to," Louis said, his voice firm. "I have to, Haz. Liam needs his memory to live on. I won't sign up for anymore active duty, I won't go on tour anymore, but I have to finish this round." That was just barely enough to convince Harry to let Louis go at the airport three days later. Harry would never have to let Louis go again.

Louis went to war, and found his bravery, but a wooden box, dog tags, and a flag came home.

 


End file.
